Once Peyton Manning’s pass to Reggie Wayne fell incomplete on 4th and 5, everyone I was watching the Super Bowl with wanted to know the same thing. Who should be the Super Bowl MVP?
It’s an interesting question. While the New Orleans Saints played a tremendous game, there wasn’t really one person that stood out above the rest. Should it be Marques Colston, who led the Saints with 7 receptions for 83 yards? Or should it be Drew Brees, who posted a QB rating of 114.5 while throwing for 288 yards? And what about Tracy Porter, who came up with a game-changing interception for the second straight game?
These are all worthy choices, and I think Brees certainly deserved to win the award. But I think there was someone more deserving. Five people, actually.
Why not give the award to the New Orleans offensive line?
Obviously, the Super Bowl MVP award is only given to a single person, so the entire offensive line wouldn’t be able to split the honor. Usually, when there isn’t a clearly deserving player, the award is given to the quarterback. But I think the offensive linemen were the most deserving of anyone on the field.
Sure, you know Drew Brees, but can you name any of the other guys in this picture?
Think about it. Brees was magnificent, completing 32 of 39 passes to tie the Super Bowl record for completions (also held by one Tom Brady, who isn’t too bad a quarterback himself). But how many times do you remember Brees being hit, or even hurried?
The answer? Just one, when Dwight Freeney muscled his way through the line to sack Brees early in the second quarter. Other than that, Brees had all the time he needed to throw the ball.
The New Orleans line, most of whom I doubt many fans could name, were the single biggest reason Brees looked so good tonight. And yet they won’t receive much, if any credit at all.
That’s typical of the position, though. In the history of the Super Bowl, exactly zero offensive lineman have been honored as the MVP. Meanwhile, six wide receivers, seven running backs, and a whopping 23 quarterbacks have received the award.
It’s easy to overlook the offensive line. They rarely make exciting, highlight reel-type plays. Instead, they do all the grunt work. They block the defensive line and create a pocket for the quarterback to work in. They push the defense aside to create a hole for the running back to run through. And they handle any pass rushers that try to disrupt the quarterback. Yawn.
It’s not often that an offensive lineman is chosen high in the NFL Draft. While there are exceptions, such as Miami Dolphins OT Jake Long, most high draft picks are quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. Teams want their high-profile picks to become faces of the franchise. Picks like John Elway, Peyton Manning, and Matt Ryan.
Except too often you get stuck with high picks like Tim Couch, Joey Harrington, and Akili Smith. These players excelled in college, but suddenly struggled when they reached the pros. Certainly some of that has to be because they had difficulty adjusting to the higher level of play, but it’s also worth pointing out that the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals all had terrible offensive lines when they were drafted. It’s hard to pass effectively when defenders are rushing through the tackle nearly every play.
That’s not to say that Drew Brees isn’t a spectacular quarterback. He certainly is, and he showed it on football’s biggest stage. But it’s worth pointing out that as good as he is, his offensive line made him look even better.
So here’s to you, Jermon Bushrod, Carl Nicks, Jonathan Goodwin, Jahri Evans, and Jonathan Stinchcomb. You may not have won the award last night, but in my book, you’re all MVPs.
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